Tea Memories

Thursday, Mar 9, 2017 | Post by Julia|0 comment(s)

Enjoying a wonderful cup of tea can be a way to celebrate almost anything. So much can be enjoyed over a simple teacup! I can remember being very young, as were my five siblings when my mom, who was such an incredible and admirable lady, invited our neighbor over for a cup of tea. Before my mom walked back into the house, she picked some mint from her herb garden and continued into the kitchen to turn on the stove.

I followed her as she went to the closet and took out a basket. The first thing she pulled out was a lace tablecloth, which she laid and flattened on our old dining room table. Next, she took out a pretty porcelain teapot with a pink rose on it and two teacups and saucers. I remember also seeing sugar cubes and sugar tongs and a funny little item, which at the time I thought would make a great spaghetti strainer for my dolls, though I have since learned it was a tea infuser.

Minutes later, they were drinking tea, chatting, laughing and relaxing. I was playing on the floor with my younger brother in the next room, but I still had a perfect view of these two women who seemed to really be enjoying their time talking and listening to each other. I tried to pay attention to every small detail as I saw my mom brew the tea leaves and strain them into each of their teacups. She made it look so easy, like she had done it a thousand times before. The thought and the feeling that is most vivid to me, after all these years, is how important my mom must have made our neighbor feel that afternoon…

My beautiful mother passed away a month after my seventh birthday. Each memory that I do have of her are all so wonderful and precious to me, but I do believe that one will always be one of my favorites. My love for tea began because of Mom.

It is very true that the perfect cup of tea commands our attention and our time. No matter how hectic my day was, my spirit and soul feels refreshed and
I feel like "me" again after having my "cuppa." My teacup is my cup of serenity.